Nagaland calls for bringing qualitative change in education sector

SCERT Director T Sekhose with officials of Nagaland Education Association and others after the observation of National Education Day in Kohima on November 10, 2018.

National Education Day observed

Kohima, November 10: Nagaland on Saturday observed National Education Day with a call for bringing about qualitative change in the education sector in the State and also to include moral values in the school curriculum specially the primary section.
The Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India declared November 11 as the National Education Day in commemoration of the birthday of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the first Education Minister of the Independent India.
However, Nagaland Education Association (NEA) in collaboration with Ura College of Teacher Education (UCTE) Kohima observed the day today as tomorrow is Sunday. The observation was held at Ura Academy Hall here.
SCERT Director, T Sekhose said that the field of education has become the major priority in the world and there is an urgent need for all to individually and also converge together to plan how to go forward in education sector.
He also opined that in Nagaland too much emphasis is given on examination and evaluation without considering the level of understanding of the students.
Maintaining that the system of teaching needs to be re-examined, he said the department is trying but is struggling to bring about qualitative improvement. “Literacy is just not about how to read and write but how to learn, unlearn and relearn. We in the education sector need to tie hands together to improve the education quality in the state,” he said.
He was of the view that a convergence model or State Education Act would be proper to bring about qualitative improvement in the education system.
Also citing the advancement of information technology and the availability of the answers to any queries through internet services which has led to explosion of information, the Director said education should not be just text book based but has to be graphical, musical, audio and visual.
Challenges of education are varied while every resource may be available, but the quality of teaching matters a lot, he said while maintaining that quality of teachers also has to improve because much of the education quality depends on them.
In this, he highlighted some of the initiatives of SCERT, which include nine months school counseling course for in service teachers and introduction of Nagaland Heritage Studies in the schools with a view to instill the values of tradition and culture on the students.
He also encouraged all as stake holders to put heads together to examine how far has the state come and how to go about in the future in order to bring about qualitative improvement in the education sector.
Former Project Director SSA and retired Joint Director of School Education, John Lohe in his concluding remarked stressed on the need to have more of moral values in the curriculum, especially in the primary section, which he felt can only be brought about by the educationists.
Stating that the society is looking upon teachers to bring the change through education system, he said going through the Nagaland Education manual of 1964 and Naga Education Commission report would help in bringing about better policy changes for qualitative education in the State.
NEA president Dr. Zavise Rume delivering the keynote address said “We need professional educationists, education professionals, education subject specialists and experts to deal with the overall education system”.
The draft National Education Policy 2016 has recognized education as a key driver of humane society, he said.
Expressing that present system of education is faced with many challenges, he said “We need a clear cut policy of education, while also adding that NEA once initiated a policy research but could not be materialized due to lack of fund.
“Many states in India have their own education policy. We need an Education Act enacted by law. We need to nurture and strengthen the present system of education like Nagaland Communitization of Education Act, 2004,” he said.
He also called upon all to support the state government in effective implementation of the Right to Education Act, 2009 and also the effective implementation of Universalisation of Elementary Education /Universalisation of secondary education.
Stressing on the need to explore a suitable method of teacher recruitment, he said, Nagaland needs a suitable law to deal with absenteeism, proxy teachers, low performance, school administration and overall quality in education.
“We need to come together under the banner of the Nagaland Education Association to promote our profession as educationists,” he added.
Meanwhile, marking the occasion, SCERT Director T. Sekhose released the second edition of the book entitled “Learning disabilities identification, remedies & teaching strategies” authored by Dr. Bweyhunle Khing.
The purpose of designing the book is to enable the teachers, educators and parents to identify children who are suffering from disabilities and devise remedial programmes accordingly, said Dr. Khing.
School Counsellor Temsuyangla chaired the programme while B Ed Student Teacher, UCTE Wepre Lasuh offered the prayers. (Page News Service)